Loose leaf binder



y 2, 1959 A. G. LOTTER 2,886,039

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Feb. 17 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l j MMHWII AuaZp/g M0171 May 12, 1959 v A G, LOTTER 2,886,039

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Feb. 17, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1 v A. G. LOTTER 2,886,039

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Feb. 17, 1958 s Sheets-Shet s Adulpl; M07171! United States Patent C? 2,886,039 LOOSE LEAF BINDER Adolph G. Lotter, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Stationers Loose Leaf Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 17, 1958, Serial No. 715,687

2 Claims. c1. 129-8) This invention relates to loose leaf binders, and has as its purpose the provision of a loose leaf binder having improved releasable sheet retaining means of unusually simple construction which not only provides for the transfer of binder sheets from one stack in the binder to another but greatly facilitates access to any of the binder sheets.

More specifically, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a loose leaf binder of the character described with a sheet retaining unit comprised of cooperating relatively movable sections, each having binder posts thereon, and one of which sections is movable from a normal sheet retaining position cooperating with a binder posts of the other section when the binder is closed to retain sheets in an orderly stack within the binder, to an inverted transfer position alongside the other section when the binder is open to dispose its binder posts in upright positions laterally adjacent to those of the other section so that single sheets or groups of adjacent sheets impaled on the binder posts of said other section may be removed therefrom and transferred to the posts on the movable section. Moreover, this construction makes any sheet of the stack in the binder readily accessible by providing for shifting of the group of sheets thereabove along with the movable section of the sheet retaining unit to its transfer position.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a loose leaf binder of the character described, which incorporates means for releasably connecting said sheet retaining sections with one another through the back of the closed binder, so as to normally preclude motion of said movable sheet retaining section out of its normal sheet retaining position.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appearas the description proceeds, this invention resides in .thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts. substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims. r

The accompanying drawings illustrate several complete examples of the physical embodiments ofthe in vention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof and in which: t

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a loose leaf binder embodying the principles of this invention, showing the binder with its covers open; 1

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through the binder taken along the plane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1 but showing the binder with its covers closed; t

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the binde shown in Figures 1 and 2, illustrating the sectional construction of the sheet retaining means and showing one of the sections thereof lifted out of its normal sheet retaining position; a e i Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating nected to the back section. The sheet retaining unitof this invention, generally designated 17,. is secured to the.

the movable sheet retaining section shifted to an uppermost position and partly swung toward atransferposi tion;

retaining means, showing the sections thereof in their transfer positions;

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the binder, show- Referring nowmore particularly to the accompanying,

drawings in which like referencecharacters have been applied to like parts throughout the several views, the

numeral 10 generally designates a loose leaf binderhaving a rigid cover comprising a back section 11, top and bottom cover sections 12 and 13, respectively, and substantially narrow top and bottom hinge strips 14 and 15, respectively, by which the covers are hingedly coninner face of the bottom hinge strip 15 by rivets 18.

with a portion of the sheet retaining unit, must be actu: ated to effect release of the sheets from the binder.

The sheet retaining unit 17 comprises two relatively movable frame sections, a stationary lower frame section. of U-shape, generally designated 21, and a movable upper frame section of inverted U-shape, generally designated 22. The U-shaped lower frame section has an elongated straight bight 23 of slightlyless length than thebottom hinge strip 15, and it is flatwise secured thereto by the.

rivets 18 hereinbefore described. It also includes opposite legs 24 projecting vertically upwardly from the ends of the bight 23, and three binder postswhich are.

fixed to the bight 23 and project vertically upwardly therefrom. The center post 26 is solid, but the two end posts 27 are of tubular construction. These posts, of

course, are arranged ina row lengthwise of the bight 23,. and while the tubular end posts 27 may have a length substantially equal to that of the legs 24, the center post.

26 is slightly shorter.

The movable upper frame section, as stated, is of inverted U-shape. Its bight29 normally extends lengthwise across the space between the upper ends of the legs 24 of the lower frame, parallel to the bight of the lower frame, and its opposite legs 30 project vertically downwardly toward the bight 23 of the. lower frame and each. looselyoverlaps the entire lengtho ffone of the legs 24 of the lower frame. This disposes the ends of the legs 30 substantially directly adjacent to the ends of the bight.

. 23 of the lower frame.

The upper frame section 22 is also provided with three binder posts, fixed to the bight 29 of the upper frame, and projecting downwardlytoward the bight of posts 27 of the lower frame 21. The center post 33 of the upper frame, however, is of tubular construction and is telescoped over the solid post 26 of the lower frame.

According to this invention the two frames 21 and 22.

comprising the upper and lower sections of the sheet Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sheet 3 retaining unit are connected in a unique manner which 'rbviaes for'liftingthe upper frame 22out of its normal, sheet retaining position seen in Figures 1 and 2, with its binder posts .in full telescoping relation with those of thelowerfr'anie, to an uppermost position at which its binder pos'ts'are'abovethos'e on the lower frarnesectio'n.

pair of c o'axialpins 37..fixed'to .the upper end portions of the legs 24 onthe lower frame 21 and projecting outwardly from the exteriors of the legs, to terminate in enlarged heads38 spaced "a distance from thelegs -24 corresponding to the thickness of the legs 30 of the'uppe'r frame '22. These pins normally project through the upper portions of elongatedslots 39in the legs 30 of the upper frame, and these slots extend for substantially theentire length of thelegs, or a distance at least equal to the le'ngth'of the binder posts on the movable 'frame 22. The"enlarged'heads38'onfthe pins 37 engage over portions of the legs 30'adjacent to the slots 39 to thus preclude displacement of the upper frame from the lower frame, and the engagement of the pins in the upper and lower ends of the slots defines the normal sheet retaining position of the-upper frame, and its uppermost position, respectively. I c

It is an important *feature'of the construction shown in Figures 1 through 8 that the upper frame is constrained to up and 'downtranslatory movement relative to the lower "frame except when it is in its uppermost position, and that as soon as it is swung away from its uppermost position, sliding thereof lengthwise of the slotsin its legs is positively precluded. For these reasons, each of the enlarged heads 38 on the pins 37 has a fl'atfltl formed on one "sidethereof, to'flatwise engage theopposing surface ofan outwardly projecting flange 41 secured to each -.leg 30a1or1 g one edge of the slot 39 therein. Inasmuch as the flanges 41 terminate a slight distance upwardly from the lower ends of the slots 39, inthelegs 30, the hats on the heads 38 of the pins prevent all but upward translating 'motion of the frame "22 out of its normal sheet retaining position, until the frame 22 reaches .its uppermost position at whichthe flats onthe heads 38 of the'pins clear the flat sides "of the flanges 41 and the adjacent ends of the flanges are contiguous to the circular peripheral portions bfthe heads. At this 'time,"of course, the binder posts "on the movable frame are free of those. on the stationary frame, andthe upper 'frameis no longer constrained to an attitude with its legs lengthwise aligning with the legs 24 of the lower frame. engagement'ofthe pins 37 inth'elower ends of the slots 39 provides a pivotal connection between the frames enabling the upper frame to be swung counterclockwise as viewed in Figures 4, and'6, about the common axis of the "pins 37, to an'inverted transfer position with its bight lengthwise adjacent to the bi'ght 23 of the lower frame and its 'binder posts extending upwardly in spaced side by side relationto the cooperating binder posts on the lower frame. During all such pivotal motion of the movable frame the rounded peripheries of the heads 38 on the "pivot pins are engageable by the adjacent ends of'the'fl'anges "41, as seen in Figure 4, to prevent relative sliding'rnovement between the frames.

It should be borne in mind, however, that the slots 39 i in the legs 30 of the upper frame must be long enough to enable complete disengagement betweenthe telescoped b'inder posts. Consequently, theibinder posts of the lower frame do not interfere with swinging of the upper'frame tofitst'ransferpes'ition seen in Figure 5. The sheets of Consequently the.

. access to any sheet of the stack.

This greatly facilitates 'work'upon any desired sheets of therstack,-and-lits is further advantageous in that'it allows 'anupperpartof the stack to be held neatlyand in proper anrangement by its impalement on the posts of the movable frame until work is completed upon the various sheets of the binder. Thereafter the sheetsneed not be removed from the posts 32 and3'3 of the movable frame and reimpaled upon the posts of the stationary lower frame 21 before the movable frame section 22 is swung clockwise to realign its legs with those of the or movable frame 22 can be releasably locked in its lowered, sheet retaining position seen in Figures 1 and '2,

lower :frame and .lo'weredto its sheet retaining position seen in Figures "1' and 2, butthe y can beheld 'onthej movable frame "section' 'while is shifted back to its normal'position seen in Figures '1 and 2.

It is afurtherfeature of this invention'that'the upper by thelat'ching mechanism 19 carried by 'the'top hinge strip 14 "When'the top cover is'close'd over the stackbf' sheets '35, see Figure 2. Forthis purpose, locking pins are fixed to'the bight 29 of the movable frame, near its opposite ends, and project upwardly a short'di'stance' therefrom. These pins have rounded outer ends -47, a'nd each has a circumferential groove '48 therein.

location intermediate the lockingpins 46. d

The latch mechanism '19 directly overlies the bight '29 of the upper or movable frame 22 when 'thetopcover is closed, as in Figure 2. It comprises-a tubular guid'e 51 s'priiig'propelledmotion ofth'e latch bar'when the binder is in its open position seen in Figure 1. Thesam'epin'bw fixed to "the inside of the top hinge strip 14, having a latch bar 52-received'therein for end'wise'motionlength wise of the back section 11 and 't'hebight of theupper frame. A-tension spring 53 connected between the tubular guide 51 and the latchbar 52 tends to yieldingly 1mm the latch bar in an operative locking position with one endprojec'ted {from the adjacent end of the guide, but-enables it to be'slidendwise to aninoperativ'eor unlatchin'g position upon depression of aflnger piece 54 on said projecting end'of thelatch bar.

ln'the'closed and latched positionof the'bin'der 'seen 'in F1gure 2, the locatingpin 49 projects upwardly-through a cooperating locating hole 55 in the tubular guide and into a'slot 56 in the latch bar 52 which allows the *bar to be shifted 'endwise without interference from the lo-' eating pin. The locking pins 46 project upwardly through su1tableholes'57 in the tubularguide, and into beanslets 58 in the latch bar, at one end of the slots, and the tension spring 53 releasably =holds the latch bar in an operative or locking position at which said ends of the bean slots engage and bottom in the circumferential grooves 48 in'the locking pins. This prevents the latching mechanism from being lifted off the upper frame except upon depression of the finger piece 54 on the projecting end of the bar, to disengage the bar from the grooves 48 1n the locking pins. In the closed and latched posi-- cupies an upiight position 'extending substantially from bight to bight of the two'frames 2'1 and 22.

A stop pin 60 fixed in the tubular guide 51 and engaging in a slot '61 inthe latch bar 52 may servet'o limit A dowel" or locating pin 49 is also'fixed to the bight "29ofthe movable frame, andit projects upwardly therefrom at a' or alternatively the finger piece 54, may serve to limit endwise motion of the bar in the opposite direction.

When closing the binder, the back section 11 and its connected top cover section 12 are swung upwardly to dispose the top cover over the stack of sheets, from their positions shown in Figure l. The locating hole 55 in the tubular guide 51 may then be brought into registry with the locating pin or dowel 49 to facilitate registry of the locking pins with the holes 57 in the guide. Thereupon, the top hinge strip, 14 is pressed down onto the bight 29 of the upper frame, and the rounded-outer ends of the locking pins momentarily cam the latch bar against the spring force acting thereon the slight amount necessary to assure proper entry of the locking pins into the bean slots 58. As soon as the grooves 48 in the locking pins align with the plane of the latch bar, the tension spring snaps the same to its locking position shown in Fig. 2.

If desired, the binder posts on the lower frame 21 of the sheet retaining unit may be made entirely independent of the binder posts on the upper frame 22, as shown in Figure 7. The lower frame thus may have only two posts 26' fixed to its bight 23 and projecting up wardly therefrom in spaced relation to one another, each adjacent to but spaced from one of two similar posts 32' on the upper frame 22. This gives a total of four binder posts to engage in four separate apertures in,

a stack of sheets 35' in the binder. In this case also all of the binder posts may be of solid construction, and slightly shorter than the length of the slots 39 in the legs 30 of the upper frame 22.

Except for the fact that the flanges 41' in this case are solid reinforcing bars each fixed to one of the legs 30 of the upper frame along one edge of the slot 39 therein, the binder illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is in all other respects similar to that previously described.

In the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 9, the legs 24 of the lower frame 21 are shown overlying the outer sides of the slotted legs 30 on the upper frame. The hinge pins 37 by which the cooperating frame sections are pivotally connected, are likewise fixed in the upper ends of the legs on the lower frame, but they project inwardly through the slots 39 in the legs of the upper frame to terminate in enlarged heads 38' by which disconnection of the two frame sections is prevented. In this case, however, the binder posts of the'upper and lower sections are of the telescoping type described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, and this telescoping engagement of the posts is relied upon to constrain the movable frame 22 to vertical translating motion relative to the lower frame when it is lifted to its uppermost position or lowered to its normal position.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanying drawings, it wil be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides an improved loose leaf binder wherein access to all of the sheets in the binder and their temporary transfer from one stack to another is greatly facilitated.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. In a loose leaf hinder, the combination of: an elongated back section, top and bottom covers, and elongated substantially narrow top and bottom hinge strips hingedly connecting the covers to the back section; a sheet retaining unit mounted on the bottom hinge strip, said sheet retaining unit comprising U-shaped upper and lower frames having elongated horizontal bights in spaced parallel relation to one another, each frame havingopposite legs extending perpendicularly from its bight substantially to. the bight of the other frame with each leg slidably overlapping one of the legs on the other frame,

binder posts connected to the bight of each frame and projecting toward the bight of the other frame, said posts being arranged in a common row lengthwise of said bights, and means at all times connecting the adjacent legs of the frames to provide for lifting of the upper frame relative to the lower frame, the covers and back section, to an uppermost position at which the end portions of said legs are adjacent to one another and the ends of the posts on the upper frame are at a level at least as high as the ends of the posts on the lower frame, said connecting means providing for pivotal motion of the upper frame, the covers and back section, relative to the lower frame out of its uppermost position about an axis parallel to the bight of the lower frame, to an inverted position at one side of the lower frame with the bight of said upper frame lowermost and lengthwise adjacent to the bight of the lower frame to dispose said binder posts in upright positions in spaced side by side rows, thus to enable sheets impaled on the binder posts of the lower frame to be removed therefrom and transferred to the binder posts of the other frame; and latch means for releasably connecting the bight of the upper frame to the inside of the top hinge strip so as to normally prevent lifting of the upper frame toward its uppermost position.

2. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of: an elongated back section; top and bottom covers hingedly connected with the opposite longitudinal edges of the back section; a sheet retaining unit carried by the binder and comprising an elongated lower member on a portion of the bottom cover adjacent to the back section, extending lengthwise thereof, and having upwardly projecting binder posts thereon, a movable elongated upper member normally occupying a sheet retaining position in spaced superimposed relation to the lower member and 1 entirely above all of the posts on the lower member,

said upper member having binder posts thereon which project downwardly atlocations intermediate posts on the lower member and all of which terminate above the lower member, and means at all times connecting the adjacent ends of said members to provide for upward movement of the upper post carrying member out of its sheet retaining position to a sheet releasing position spaced a maximum distance above the lower member, said connecting means providing for pivotal motion of the upper member relative to the lower member out of said uppermost position thereof, about an axis parallel to the lower member, toward the back section to an inverted position closely lengthwise adjacent to the lower memberand at which the posts on both members are upright and disposed in spaced side by side rows so that sheets impaled on the posts of the lower member may be removed therefrom and transferred to the posts of the inverted upper member; means securing the lower member to said portion of the bottom cover; and releasable latch means connecting the upper member to a portion of the top cover adjacent to the back section, when the binder is closed, whereby the back section restrains the upper post carrying member against upward movement out of its sheet retaining position except upon release of said releasable latch means.

References Cited in the file of this: patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 931,819 Walker Aug. 24, .1909 1,443,406 Wigginton Jan. 30, 1923 1,794,473 Warner Mar. 3, 1931 2,017,218 Raynolds Oct. 15, 1935 2,107,868 McClure Feb. 8, 1939 

